Three members of the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) are helping with search and rescue operations in Venezuela after the devastating twin earthquakes hit the South American country late in June.
Station Commander Gavin Brown, Crew Commander Ian Hodgson and Firefighter Brian Richards from Scotland are part of the United Kingdom’s International Search and Rescue (UK ISAR) contingent which was deployed at the request of the Venezuelan government via the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO).
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The team of 68 specialists, drawn from fire and rescue services across the UK, is supplemented by trained search dogs, structural engineers and medical staff and they have been working in communities worst hit by the earthquakes alongside emergency responders from other nations, using specialist equipment and technical know-how to search for anyone trapped within collapsed buildings.
Photo credit: Scottish Fire and Rescue Service
From Venezuela, Gavin Brown highlighted the need for teamwork and flexibility.
He said: “As always when working overseas, international co-operation is at the core of our efforts and we are building on our experience and expertise from day to day operations. This has been vital in the challenging conditions we are facing here.
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“We have had to be flexible and adaptive in response to the developing situation.
” The team has had to make on the spot decisions about where best to concentrate efforts and the skills of the 68 firefighters have been instrumental in their work.
Andy Buchan, the UK ISAR Team Manager in Scotland, commented on the professionalism of his teams.
He said: “They have a phenomenal level of resilience. This is a scale of destruction they would not encounter on a normal day in Scotland but they have responded to it in an incredibly professional and organised manner.
Photo credit: Scottish Fire and Rescue Service
Support is in place for the teams both before and after their deployment, as well as while they are in Venezuela.”
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Thousands of people have died and many more injured, and a large area of northern Venezuela was devastated in the earthquakes, sparking an international humanitarian operation which includes rescue efforts from countries across Europe, the UK and others.
